Uganda’s iron fisted dictator, Yoweri  Museveni, is in the middle of a hurriedly arranged tour of Buganda under the pretext of promoting  ”Bona bagagawale” (”prosperity for all”).  However, Mr. Museveni has attracted such small audiences that his state house has banned all newspapers from publishing photos from the rallies. The decision was taken as soon as Museveni’s handlers observed that when Museveni went to Kyaggwe, in the Kisoga area, he received  crowds that were substantially smaller crowds than the ones his opponent, Kiiza Besigye, had attracted  a few weeks earlier. To further complicate matters for Uganda’s warlord, his crowds tend to be dominated by village idlers and pickpockets and are not always friendly.

One email from a source close to Museveni’s state house says: “The state house simply had no choice but to stop everyone from printing pictures when the crowds in Kyaggwe and Rakai do not even come to even 20% of what Kabaka would attract. And they are also clearly smaller than what Besigye gets. To make things worse, when Kabaka goes places, people roll themselves in the dust on the road asking him to walk over their back. When  the president goes anywhere, people ignore his length speeches and as soon as he finishes start complaining  about everything from terrible roads, land grabbing by ‘foreigners’ and drunkard husbands. In a couple cases he has been asked to explain why he does not leave Kabaka alone.”

In a related development, another Uganda government source who is in contact with Mr. Museveni’s convoy in Rakai, Kooki county, sent us an email to say that Mr. Museveni is spending two days in the area to have more time with his local spies regarding the deteriorating security situation in both Buddu and Kooki counties. And, reportedly, to dish out bribes to local NRM operatives and other locals with a long-term goal of undermining  both Omutaka Kabumbuli and the Kabaka in Kooki.  Museveni reportedly gives out the bribe money  during secret night meetings and, while in the Kooki area, he is sleeping only about 3-4 hours a night.

Some British Baganda are angry at Deputy Katikkiro, Emmanuel Sendaula, and Kabaka’s representative in UK, Nsambu Musisi, for asking them (the Baganda) to keep quiet at a time when their Kabaka and nation are under a state of occupation by the NRM government.

In a Luganda letter that was addressed to all Kabaka’s representatives overseas, Owek. Sendaula indicates that the Kabaka’s representative had been informed in the past that, earlier, the Buganda government passed a resolution that Kabaka and the Ugandan warlord, Museveni, should meet. He adds that the meeting which took place has improved the communication between the two sides. He states that the two sides exchanged documents based on which negotiations were to take place; the Katikkiro would inform Kabaka’s representative in due course.

The Deputy Katikkiro’s letter includes no references to ordinary Baganda except when he asks Kabaka’s representative to tell the Baganda in their areas to be  “very calm”. Owek. Sendaula provides not information at all to his audience to pass over to Baganda in their area. His letter does not include any reference to the 30 Baganda who were massacred by the NRM occupation government, the hundreds who were injured and the nearly 1,000 who have been arrested and tortured over the last two weeks. The Deputy Katikkiro’s letter is dated Monday October 15, 2009, only 2 days after Kabaka’s minister, Lubega Sseggona, was arrested by Museveni. However it does not mention the plight of Ssegona. Even most important, the Deputy Katikkiro letter saying nothing about the health and general well being of Ssabasajja Kabaka, who all Baganda know has endured tough and stressful times since the NRM occupation power barred him from going to Bugerere and started murdering his subjects.

Also significant is that, in his letter, Owek. Sendaula never mentions ordinary Baganda who live the Diaspora. He never acknowledges the allegiance they have shown to the Kabaka and Buganda with their demonstrations and other actions. He only refers to these loyal subjects when he says, “You, the representatives of Ssabasajja outside Uganda should encourage the people you lead to be very calm to give a chance to the negotiations that have started between the Uganda government and Buganda Kingdom, which aim to address Buganda’s open issues.”

In his letter to UK Baganda, Kabaka’s representative Nsambu Musisi also skipped any acknowledgement what UK Baganda have done to show the loyalty they have to Buganda or the Kabaka. And he amplifies Owek. Sendaula’s letter, telling Kabaka’s subjects in UK: “It is best that any planned demonstrations in Britain be postponed.”

One of our sources in London reported that many Baganda in UK are incensed at the condescending attitude of  Owek. Sendaula and Mr. Nsambu Musisi. The situation is further complicated by the fact that Mr. Musisi has popularity issues with most UK Baganda who feel that he was imposed on them by Katikkiro Mulwanyaamuli. According to our source: “Baganda here in London believe that blood of Baganda shed by Museveni only a week ago and the ongoing torture of hundreds of his subjects are most important to Kabaka Mutebi. But that a few cowardly and greedy individuals are helping Museveni to isolate Kabaka from his subjects by making him appear more interested in CBS Radio money or the firing of Tamale Mirundi.”

Another source, who is a computer engineer and Nkoba za Mbogo veteran went as far as challenging Deputy Katikkiro Sendaula and Mmengo to explain why they are eager to sell a Buganda’s which has survived nearly 1,000 years to a man whose true identity is questionable. He said: “First Walusimbi, Sendaula and a few money angry Mmengo personalities were used by Museveni to trick Kabaka into becoming a negotiator. That was an effort to break the centuries old custom, ‘Kabaka tateesa‘. Now they are trying to get a short term, short sighted, secret Regional Tier deal with Museveni based on getting quick CBS Radio and bribe money, to protect their personal interests. That is why they don’t even care about the Baganda blood that was spilt, those in prison or even bad image Kabaka Mutebi may get among his subjects.

“Anyway, they cannot stop us from resisting Buganda’s occupiers and protecting out Kabaka and national interests. The only reason that Museveni is even learnt to dress up, walk as if his feet are OK and behave like a civilized person in front of the Kabaka last Wednesday, is because he and his fellow Balaalo were panicked by the demonstrations September 10-11, 2009. The demonstrators in Buganda, London, New York, Boston and elsewhere showed the Ugandan NRM war lords that Buganda has a backbone. It makes common sense that Baganda must only increase demonstrations if they want to make it clear to Museveni and his NRM occupiers that they have no future without agreeing to all Buganda’s demands. Akeenda, return of all our properties, payment of arrears and Federo.  These demands are well known by all Ugandans, so why would our demonstrations against the murder and senseless arrest and torture of Baganda change anything?”

When contacted for a comment on this story, our New York based Buganda analyst had this to say: “I think Owek. JB Walusimbi and his supporters in Mmengo have made a terrible mistake of sacrificing Nambooze, Sseggona, Mpuuga and other so called Mmengo radicals to appease Museveni, Bukenya and the businessmen in Mmengo. I suspect that if Walusimbi continues on this path then he (Walusimbi) will have no influence at all when the next major demonstrations by Baganda happens, because the demonstrators might be looking for his head. It is like the children making an alarm (okukuba enduulu) when they see a robber running way with family property. Suppose the robber panics and starts to appear cornered. I think that even a 6-year old would smell something fishy if the father comes out of hiding, doesn’t show concern about the children killed or kidnapped by the robber and tells the whole family to keep quite, so neighbors don’t come as he secretly negotiates with the robber.”

Below are the letters from Deputy Katikkiro Sendaula and Mr. Nsambu Musisi respectively (in Luganda):

.

Letter from Owek. Sendaula

Eri:       Ababaka ba Ssaabasajja bonna mu nsi z’Ebweru

Okuva: Oweek. Amb. Emmnauel L. Ssendaula, Minisita w’Ensonga za Buganda  Ebweru

Ensonga:Ensisinkano ya Ssaabasajja Kabaka ne President wa Uganda

Olunaku: Lwakutaano nga 02/10/2009

Nkulamusizza nnyo era ne nkwebaza emirimu gy’oweereza Mukama waffe Ssaabasajja n’eggwanga lyattu Buganda ng’osinziira eyo gy’oli.

President wa Uganda ne Ssaabasajja Kabaka wa Buganda baasisinkanye mu State House e Ntebe nga 30/09/2009.  Akakiiko Akafuzi (Cabinet) aka Gavumenti ya Ssaabasajja Kabaka nako kaatudde eggulo nga 01/10/2009 ne kakubaganya ebirowoozo ku nsisinkano y’abakulu abo ababiri.

Nga bwe mumanyi obulungi, Gavumenti ya Ssaabasajja yayisa ekiteeso ekisemba Ssaabasajja ne President basisinkane.  Kirungi nti ensisinkano eyo yayambye nnyo okuteekawo empuliziganya wakati waabwe bombi etaabaddeewo okumala ebbanga.

Katikkiro yategeezezza Obuganda nti waliwo ebiwandiiko ebyawanyisiganyiziddwa President ne Ssaabasajja Kabaka byetegerezebwe buli ludda.  Kati Katikkiro ne Gavumenti ya Ssaabasajja twefunyiridde mu kwetegereza ensonga eziri mu kiwandiiko President kye yawadde Ssaabasajja kyokka ate nga tusuubira nti ne President yeetegereza ensonga eziri mu kiwandiiko Ssaabasajja Kabaka kye yamuwadde.

Ekiseera ekituufu bwe kinaatuuka, Katikkiro ajja kutegeeza Obuganda ebinaaba bivudde mu nteeseganya.  Mu kiseera kye kimu Katikkiro ayongedde n’akubiriza Obuganda okubeera obumu wamu n’okubeera abakkakkamu ennyo nga tulwanirira ebyaffe.

Mu ngeri y’emu nammwe ababaka ba Ssaabasajja ebweru wa Uganda, musaanye okukubiriza abantu be mutwala okubeera abakkakkamu ennyo tusobole ffenna okuwa omukisa enteeseganya ezitandise wakati wa Gavumenti ya Uganda n’Obwakabaka bwa Buganda, nga zigendererwamu okukola n’okugonjoola ensonga za Buganda zonna ezikyali mu ddiiro.

Ssaabasajja Kabaka Awangaale!

.

Letter from Mr. Nsambu Musisi

Abazaana n’abasajja ba Ssaabasajja,

Mbalamusizza nnyo nnyini era mbebaza emirimu gyemukola. Ate mbebaza ekyensusso obumu n’obuwagizi bwemulaze eri Ssaabasajja mu kasEera akabade akazibu. Ssabasajja gyaali ateredde ntEnde naye nga akyaali munakuwavu olw’Abantu be abaafa na balumizibwa mu kwekalakaasa okwaaliwo

1. Mbasaba musome ebbaluwa eri wansi weno nga eva ewa Owek Ssendaula nga eyogera kubiriwo kati. Nsaba mugisome.

Ntegezeddwa nti olw’okwagala okutekawo embeera ennungi ‘conducive environment’ eneyamba enteseganya wakati wa Ssaabasajja Kabaka ne President wa Uganda okugenda mu maaso,  kyandibadde kirungi singa Abaganda tugira tukyaleka ebyo ebibadde bikolebwa okulaga nti tuli benyamivu nga muno mwemuli n’okwekalakaasa.

Gavumenti ya Uganda nayo egambye nti egyakulekeraawo ebikolwa eby’okusomooza Buganda.

Kale no n’olwekyo kyandibade kirungi singa okwekalakaasa okubadde kugenda okuberawo e Bungereza kugira kuyimirizibwaamu. (Postponed).

2. Nebaza abo bonna abakawa ensimbi ez’okukubagiza amaka agafiirwa abantu baabwe mu kwekalakaasa. Abamu abatadde ensimbi ku ‘Bank Account’ tebalaga mannya gaabwe. Nsaba buli atadde ensimbi ku Account okumpereza amannyage tusobole okuwandiika olukalala lw’amannya getunawereza embuga nga tuwereza ensimbi zino ez’okukubagiza.

Mu kiseera kyekimu nsaba abo bonna abatanadukirila mulanga guno okugezaako okwayo obuyambi nga butekebwa ku ‘Bank Account’

Ssaabasajja Kabaka Awangaale

J Nsambu Musisi

Omubaka

Transparency International, a Berlin-based anti-corruption watchdog has published a report saying 53% of 73,000 respondents from 69 countries now saw the private sector as being corrupt, up from 45% in 2004. The report also stated that most people believed that private firms have to pay “sweeteners” to public officials to influence policy. In addition, the respondents said political parties were the most corrupt bodies.

Within governments law enforcement, specifically the police, appear to be netting the most illegal money. The most likely bribers tend to belong to low income households. Bribery of public officials is seen as a particularly serious problem in Georgia, Armenia, Cameroon, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Uganda. The respondents from these countries claimed to pay at least one bribe in the past year.

The entire report can be found here.

Reports from various corners of Buganda indicate that the overwhelming majority of  Kabaka’s subjects are upset with Katikkiro Walusimbi’s decision to accept a Shs 2 Billion (US$ 930,232) offer from President Museveni.  And within the Baganda youth movement there is talk of giving him the traditional punishment for treason. Katikkiro Walusimbi announced his unilateral decision to take Shs 350 Million (US$162,790), as the first payment of what he claimed to be an unconditional Uganda Government grant,  during an April 20, 2009 meeting of the Buganda Lukiiko (equivalent of a parliament). However, Owek. JB  Walusimbi promptly contradicted himself by adding that the funds came from Mr. Museveni’s NAADS program, which is funded by donors and is widely known to have many strings attached.

Reaction from nationalist members of the Lukiiko was swift. One member told Mr. Walusimbi that Mmengo must not take the  Shs 2 Billion because it was an attempt by Mr. Museveni’s government to introduce their corruption into Mmengo and have an excuse to bring Uganda Government into Bulange under the guise of checking accountability. Another pointed out that Mr. Museveni should pay the over Shs 8 Billion he owes to Buganda before Mmengo accepts a gift of Shs 350 Million. Owek Walusimbi only hit back. He literally quarreled with the opposing voices, telling them: “You need to understand who Walusimbi is. I have handled huge sums of money for many years and I cannot be bought by Shs 1 Billion. I don’t need it and I would not look at it even if you put it in front of me.” And in what appeared to be a veiled attack on the increasingly influential nationalistic Baganda in the Diaspora, Walusimbi said: “In 2009 Baganda should focus on hard work and not politics like the people who criticize me. Those who criticize me are people who can afford to eat sausages at breakfast time and go on to have lunch, evening tea and dinner with red wine.” And, in a move which  Baganda youths in the gallery called a “Museveni style bribe”, the Katikkiro gave each of the Lukiiko members present a “transport refund” of Shs 20,000.

By Tuesday evening, the resistance to the Walusimbi/Museveni Shs 350 Million transaction had spread beyond the Lukiiko. A leaflet titled “JB Walusimbi Atunze Obuganda” was circulating around Kampala. It pointed out that Walusimbi had sold each native of Buganda for Shs 430. It includes his image with the caption “Kayungirizi”, a term reserved for local land agents (see picture). Our investigations have revealed that the document was circulated by members of the Buganda youth movement, who enjoy full support from about 50% of Buganda cabinet and a huge majority of ordinary Baganda. A Buganda minister, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told this reporter that after seeing the leaflet, a combative Walusimbi threatened members of his cabinet that he knew who among them was fighting him and he would defeat them. Only a day later another message from still unknown Baganda was delivered to Walusimbi, warning him that if he continues on his current path, his head might get put on stakes at Bulange. Sources close to Walusimbi tell us that the Katikkiro has told President Museveni that his life is at risk. And he is now receiving protection from President Museveni’s Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB).

On March 9, 2009 Buganda Post exclusively reported that Katikkiro Walusimbi had Mr. Museveni to pay that  to pay off government rent arrears owed to Mmengo and authorize another 8 billion shillings to: (1) complete Bulange Plaza, (2) complete Twekobe, (3) pay some salary arrears for Bulange employees, (4) to facilitate (bribe) key Buganda officials and certain key Bataka (clan heads) for support, (5) to settle the debt that state house owed the Katikkiro’s Associated Consulting Engineers company, and (6) to buy support from Baganda peasants by giving them money through an NRM style program called Omumuli which Walusimbi designed with Museveni’s vice president Gilbert Bukenya. (See “Katikkiro Walusimbi Dodges Talks, Leaves Museveni Holding A Bag Of Stones“). According to our State House sources, the Shs 350 Million that Mr. Walusimbi accepted is art of this agreement. And the lunch allowances he gave to Lukiiko members appears to be the first step towards getting Mr. Museveni’s money into the Buganda Lukiiko.

Dear Maama,

I was happy when Musa told me that he managed to see you and that you look excellent. He also told us that he has never tasted better “ngenge” than you cooked when he visited you. Also thank you very much for all the gifts you sent.

Maama, Musa told about your anger that Museveni has made sure that of resident district commissioners (RDCs) who implement his actions and local money spending in Buganda are from the West.  And that it made you feel that Buganda is under occupation (”buwambe”). You know me, I immediately started to check it out in Google. The place I landed is Museveni’s  own state house website and the evidence was right there for everyone to see.

By the way, although Museveni spent tens of millions of dollars on building the state house, his website has not been updated since October 2008.  Yet, he can have some of his people in Kampala do it for little money per month.

Anyway Maama, I found the 80 RDCs that Museveni appointed  a few months ago and noted the ones for Buganda. When you check them carefully, you will see that you were 100% right to be angry. True, these RDC’s are responsible for ensuring that the policies and budget of Museveni’s government are implemented as expected. Of the 16 RDCs in Buganda 69% are from the West and only 4 (25%) are Baganda (staunch supporters of Museveni). When you compare, only 1 (5%) of 20 RDCs in the Western region is a Muganda and 17 (85%) are westerners.

So whoever told you Maama is correct. The westerners, many of whom are openly anti-Baganda, are in charge what President Museveni does to Baganda and Buganda. But they keep full control in the West too! Maama I have checked, Baganda are really under hostile occupation. A few are only too confused to realize it because of the small bribes they give them.

We are praying for you and Buganda.

Son, Joshua

PRESIDENT MUSEVENI’S POLITICAL ADMINISTRATORS IN BUGANDA AND WESTERN REGION
Source: www.statehouse.go.ug

RDCs Ruling in Buganda (click to see details)

RDCs Ruling in The West (click to see details)

Source: www.statehouse.go.ug

A source in the Buganda Government’s  headquarters, Bulange, has told this reporter that some Mmengo officials, led by one Ahmed Bamweyana, conned Ugandans into paying thousands of dollars for the promise of USA visas. According to the source, the key players were Mr. Bamweyana and a Mr. Kaddu, who working with someone in the Katikkiro’s office, told scores of Baganda that they were the official representatives of Ttabamiruka in Uganda. Similarly, Baweyana and Kaddu went to the United States embassy and presented themselves the local Ttabamiruka agents.

The problem is that Bamweyana and Kaddu, both officials at Mmengo, were self-appointed agents. Worse still, they were charging the visa applicants about US$3,000 for the visa, which they could not even guarantee. Although some of the applicants got the visas, others, like the one that this reporter spoke to, are having trouble finding Kaddu to get a refund.

Ahmed Bamweyana is a minister in the Kabaka’s government. Previously he was the Chief of Protocol at Mmengo, a position that he used to cheat Baganda who wanted USA visas for the 2007 Ttabamiruka of thousands of US dollars. Some Mmengo experts believe that Katikkiro Ssendaula moved Bamweyana from the Protocol position because of the 2007 visa scandal and because of allegations that he was charging Baganda for audiences with Kabaka Mutebi.

Bamweyana is also regularly accused in Baganda Internet discussion lists of being a Museveni plant at Mmengo, without concrete proof. This reporter has however confirmed that Bamweyana, a former senior clerk at the Uganda High Commission,  in London, is currently the Financial Controller in President Museveni’s Education Service Commission.